Fire Extinguisher & Suppression Technician at Columbia… · Saint…

• Base Pay: 22.00 - 30.00 / Hour
• Job Category: Fire Extinguisher, Technician, Fire Suppression
• Industry: Fire Protection, Construction
• Employee Type: NonExempt - Full Time
• Required Degree: High school

Description

Position: Fire Extinguisher & Suppression Technician

Company: Valley Fire Control, LLC

Location: Greater Spokane — territory covers Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho (candidates should reside in the Greater Spokane, Post Falls, or Coeur d’Alene corridor)

Reports To: Spokane Division Manager

Employment Type: Full-time, hourly, non-exempt (overtime eligible)

Bargaining Unit Status: Non-union

Incentive Eligibility: Uncapped revenue share — see Compensation

Travel: Daily travel across Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho; occasional travel to other Valley Fire Control locations; plus travel to our Albany, Oregon office for training, including an initial trip of up to one month (paid)

Valley Fire Control is a fire and life safety company serving customers across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. We design, install, inspect, and service pre-engineered and engineered fire suppression systems, portable fire extinguishers, kitchen suppression systems, fire alarm systems, and fire sprinkler systems.

In 2025 we joined Columbia Safety Services. Between our sister companies we deliver full-scope fire protection: fire alarm, fire sprinklers, clean agent suppression, backflow prevention, kitchen suppression systems, portable extinguishers, and related life safety equipment. FFF Protection, our Idaho operation, is a trade name of Valley Fire Control, LLC.

We are part of a growing multi-state fire protection group focused on building something long-term. We respect the trades, run a disciplined operation, and care about doing the work right.

Our core values guide how we operate: Customer First, Grit, Effective Communication, Own the Outcome, Take Pride in the Work, and Do the Right Thing.

Read this part carefully, because it is the whole job.

Spokane is a new market for us. There is no established route here, no customer list waiting for you, and no one ahead of you to hand you work. You are the first person in this seat, and you are here to build the market.

That means this is a sales job and a technician job at the same time. You will knock on doors, walk into restaurants and commercial kitchens, build relationships with property managers and building owners, and then go do the work you sold. Both halves matter, and neither one covers for the other.

We are paying for that risk and that effort. The compensation plan below gives you an uncapped share of the labor revenue you generate, because in a new market your income should track what you actually build.

How this market is set up

Our office for this market is in St. Maries, Idaho, with inventory storage in the Spokane and Post Falls area so you can restock without a long drive. Your territory covers all of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, and you will report to the Spokane Division Manager.

Requirements

This is a field-based, hands-on seller-doer seat. You will service portable fire extinguishers and pre-engineered kitchen wet chemical suppression systems — inspecting, testing, maintaining, repairing, and installing — and you will spend a meaningful part of each week developing new business.

You will be in front of customers constantly, often as the only person from our company they see all year. You own that relationship and the revenue that comes from it.

If you have run your own route and wished you were paid for the business you brought in, this is that job.

• Inspect, test, maintain, repair, and install portable fire extinguishers in accordance with NFPA 10 and applicable local codes
• Inspect, test, maintain, repair, and install pre-engineered kitchen wet chemical suppression systems in accordance with NFPA 17A and NFPA 96
• Perform recharge and hydrostatic testing of cylinders as required
• Service and install Amerex, CaptiveAire, and related authorized equipment lines
• Support clean agent and special hazards suppression work as your certifications develop
• Identify deficiencies and clearly communicate required repairs and corrections
• Document all work accurately using company software (iPad-based)
• Maintain truck stock and order supplies so you are ready for the next job
• Follow safety protocols and PPE requirements on every job
• Represent Valley Fire Control professionally in every customer interaction

• Prospect for new customers in person — restaurants, commercial kitchens, schools, healthcare, retail, industrial, and multi-family properties
• Build relationships with property managers, facility managers, building owners, and restaurant operators
• Quote and sell inspection, service, and equipment work
• Convert one-time service calls into recurring annual inspection agreements
• Upsell additional scope onsite where it genuinely benefits the customer
• Pass opportunities outside your scope — sprinkler, alarm, special hazards — to our sales team with enough detail for them to follow up well
• Keep accurate records of prospects, quotes, and customer activity

• Entrepreneurial — you want to be paid for what you build, not for hours on a clock
• Comfortable prospecting in person — a cold walk-in does not rattle you
• Positive and personable — customers like working with you, and it shows in repeat business
• Self-sufficient — you plan your own week and do not need someone looking over your shoulder
• Technically sound — you can do the work you sold, correctly, the first time
• Persistent — new markets are built on the fifteenth conversation, not the first
• Coachable — you want to add certifications and scope over time
• Aligned with our values: Customer First, Grit, Effective Communication, Own the Outcome, Take Pride in the Work, and Do the Right Thing

An honest filter, because this seat is not for everyone:

• If you want a full route handed to you on day one, this is the wrong job
• If selling makes you uncomfortable, roughly half of this seat will make you miserable
• If you need a guaranteed number rather than a share of what you produce, look elsewhere
• If you would rather not talk to customers, this is the wrong trade entirely
• If a slow first quarter would rattle you, understand that building a market takes time

Required of every candidate, including entry level:

• High school diploma or GED
• Willingness to prospect and sell in person — this is roughly half the job
• Willingness to travel to our Albany, Oregon operation for hands-on training, including an initial trip of up to one month. We pay for travel and accommodations.
• Mechanical aptitude and the ability to work independently once trained
• Valid driver’s license with no major driving violations in the last 3 years and no DUIs in the last 7 years
• Ability to climb ladders, walk and climb stairs, and work in commercial kitchens, mechanical rooms, and occupied buildings
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs regularly, and to maneuver larger cylinders and wheeled units with assistance
• Comfort using tablets and cloud-based software
• Fluent in spoken and written English
• Ability to pass a background check and pre-employment drug screen

To be placed above the entry rate:

• 4+ years of hands-on experience testing, inspecting, maintaining, and installing portable fire extinguishers and pre-engineered kitchen wet chemical suppression systems
• Active NAFED or ICC certification in portable fire extinguishers and pre-engineered kitchen fire suppression systems

Required within 45 days of hire if not already held:

• City of Spokane Portable Fire Extinguisher Servicer Technician certification
• City of Spokane Rangehood-Extinguishing System Servicer Technician certification

• Prior business development, route sales, or outside sales experience
• Recharge and hydrostatic testing experience
• Clean agent or special hazards suppression experience
• Dry chemical, industrial, or vehicle suppression system experience
• NICET certification in Special Hazards Suppression Systems
• Manufacturer training on Amerex, CaptiveAire, or clean agent platforms
• Backflow assembly tester certification
• Additional City of Spokane servicer certifications:
  • Fire Alarm System Testing-Programming Servicer Technician
  • Sprinkler-Standpipe Servicer
• Cross-training in fire alarm or fire sprinkler work, evidenced by any of the following:
  • Washington 06 Limited Energy Electrical license
  • Idaho Limited Energy Electrical license
  • Washington State Patrol Sprinkler Fitter Certificate of Competency
  • Washington State Patrol Inspection & Testing (I&T) Certificate of Competency
• Existing relationships in the local restaurant, property management, or facilities community
• Bilingual (Spanish or other languages)

This position primarily targets a portable extinguisher and kitchen suppression technician. If you also hold full-scope inspection credentials across fire alarm and fire sprinkler systems, tell us — we will pay above the base shown here for the right full-service inspector, and we would be glad to have you.

If you come in without extinguisher and kitchen suppression experience, we will teach you the trade properly. Our Albany, Oregon operation has been doing this work for decades, and that is where you will learn it.

Expect regular travel to Albany for hands-on training, especially in your first year. Your initial trip could run up to a full month. We pay for all travel and accommodations.

This is not a watch-a-video-and-go trade. Getting genuinely competent takes real time in the field alongside people who have done it for years, and we would rather invest that time than send you out half-trained.

This seat uses a scaled plan built for market development: an hourly base set by your experience, plus an uncapped share of the labor revenue you produce.

Base wage

• Entry level, no prior fire protection experience: $22.00 per hour
• Experienced technician with 4+ years in the trade: $30.00 per hour
• Target base: $40.00 per hour

Your base grows toward $40.00 per hour as you build capability and develop the market. That progression is performance-based rather than automatic, but a technician meeting expectations should expect to get there.

Revenue share

• 30% of the labor revenue you generate, uncapped
• Calculated on labor revenue only. Parts, materials, and equipment are excluded.
• You earn your hourly rate for every hour you work, including time spent prospecting and developing customers. There is no separate or reduced rate for sales time.
• Overtime is paid for hours worked over 40 in a workweek

How the revenue share works

A $200 inspection produces a $60 share. An invoice totaling $275 made up of $200 in inspection labor and a $75 extinguisher also produces a $60 share, because the extinguisher is material rather than labor.

Spokane is a new market for us. Essentially every customer is one you will bring in, so essentially all of your labor revenue counts.

After roughly two years

• You transition to the Columbia Safety Services Standard Sales Incentive Plan at the $40.00 base
• You continue to earn incentive under that plan on return and recurring work from the customers you developed in prior years — the book you build stays yours

Earnings under the revenue share and the incentive plan are performance-driven and are not guaranteed. Full plan documents are provided during the hiring process.

Summary

• Uncapped revenue share — you are paid for the business you build, not just the hours you work
• The book you build stays yours, even after the plan transitions
• A published base path from $22.00 to a $40.00 target, plus paid training in Albany
• Take-home company vehicle, tools, and paid certifications
• You own the market and the customer relationships in it
• High-trust, high-ownership environment with no micromanagement
• Backed by a multi-state regional fire protection group focused on the long term

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance through Regence BlueShield, Delta Dental of Washington, and VSP — available to employees scheduled 30 or more hours per week, effective the first of the month following or coinciding with your hire date
• The company pays approximately 90% of the employee premium on the HSA-qualified medical plan, plus a substantial share of dependent premiums
• Health Savings Account with a $600 annual company contribution
• 401(k) with Safe Harbor employer match up to 3.5%
• Paid time off starting at 10 days annually and increasing with length of service
• Eight paid holidays
• Company-paid basic life and AD&D insurance
• Employee Assistance Program, telehealth access, and optional pet insurance
• Company vehicle for business use, with fuel, maintenance, and insurance covered
• Paid training, certifications, and continuing education
• iPad and tools provided
• Paid training and certifications, including clean agent and special hazards credentials

• Full-time, Monday through Friday
• Daily travel across Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho; occasional travel to other Valley Fire Control locations
• Occasional after-hours or on-call work as needed
• Work performed in commercial kitchens, restaurants, occupied buildings, mechanical rooms, and active construction sites
• Regular ladder and stair use, lifting and carrying equipment and cylinders, and work in hot, cramped, or dirty conditions
• Required PPE provided and expected on every job

If you know this work, you are not afraid to go get customers, and you want to be paid for what you build, we want to talk.

Valley Fire Control, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable law.

Employment with Valley Fire Control, LLC is at-will and may be terminated by either party at any time, with or without cause or notice, consistent with applicable law.